Daughter describes 'horrendous' end-of-life care in Morecambe that left mother with little support

‘We were on our own’ – A daughter has described the ‘horrendous’ end-of-life care that left her mother with little support in her final days.

Ann Bowling, 78, deserved ‘dignity, comfort, and timely support’ from the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) but did not receive it, according to her daughter Debra Gundy.

The former care home manager suffered from advanced pulmonary fibrosis, emphysema and heart failure in the lead up to her death on October 20.

Both Pulmonary Fibrosis and Emphysema are chronic lung conditions that make it harder to breathe, with Ann requiring oxygen 24 hours a day and using 10 litres a minute.

Repeated visits from nurses had led to promises of fast-track care as Ann’s health deteriorated throughout September and October but no support came.

Despite having a palliative care plan and emergency healthcare plan (EHCP) in place that promised at home or hospice care, Debra said neither were enacted as Ann became bed bound.

This left the 52-year-old and her two sisters to care for Ann themselves and meant no nurse was there to administer a ‘just-in-case’ kit of medications they had been given to ease their mother’s pain.

Debra said: “We knew we knew that mum was dying and we accepted that.

“We were not expecting a miracle, but what we expected was that she would receive the end-of-life care that professionals had assessed and approved and promised.”

She added: “We’re all completely traumatised by it, we just feel so bad because we should have been holding my mum’s hand and talking about memories and nice things that we’ve done and all we did was fight with services and not know what we’re doing.

“It was just horrendous. It was awful.”

The sisters have submitted a complaint to the NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board, who oversee and commission services from UHMBT.

The trust said it was ‘sorry’ to hear of their mother’s experience but was unable to comment further as an investigation is ongoing.

Ann’s health worsened in July 2026 after a spell in Furness General Hospital with pneumonia, which weakened her lungs further so the palliative care plan was then put in place.

The family’s understanding was that she would be cared for at home by a rapid response team and if things got too much there would be a place available at a hospice.

“The plan was, when the time came, we would have support and care in place,” said Debra.

Ann, from Ulverston, was diagnosed with heart failure in September 2026 and, despite complaining of significant indigestion that left her unable to move around the house, Debra says they were told it was just heartburn and to take extra Gaviscon.

After complaining about this experience on October 7, a palliative care nurse came out on October 9 and a fast-track assessment of her mother was agreed that day.

The NHS continuing healthcare fast-track pathway is put in place for individuals whose health is deteriorating quickly and are nearing the ending of their life.

This is so an appropriate care and support package can be put in place as soon as possible – usually within 48 hours.

Ann never received this care, even though the assessment was allegedly made 11 days before her death.

“This is where it all started to go wrong. There were repeated failures,” said Debra.

On October 11, Debra said another nurse came around to complete a ‘gold standard framework’, which provided a different form of care and would take weeks to put in place.

Debra said they regularly rang up over the next week to see what was being done about the fast-track request and was told that the funding had been agreed but it was still out for tender.

Nurses then came out on October 17 to put a catheter in her as she was unable to stand up to get onto the commode.

Despite this, none of them picked up that she was close to death.

Debra said: “They told my sister that ‘we’ll know when she’s dying’. My sister was crying saying ‘she’s dying now. I know she’s dying’.

“And they walked out the door and that was the last time we had a nurse.”

On the day before Ann passed (October 19), Debra rang the district nurse in “an absolute state because my mum was just dying right in front of us and begged for somebody to come out.

“Even just to see her once a day. A week had gone when we should have had carers in place.”

Debra said the district nurse promised she would ring up the hospice and find out what was going on but they heard nothing back and Ann died the following day.

The sisters do not blame any individual nurse but the system and communication between teams.

Debra said: “She was so poorly and we were on our own, we had no support, absolutely on our own and it was just awful.”

She said Ann had ‘put her faith’ in the system as she had been a care home manager throughout her life, but the support never came.

“If they put a care plan in place, it should be in place. We shouldn’t have to fight the system to get it. It should be there,” said Debra.

She said dozens of other families have been in contact with her since she posted about her experience on social media to say that they had had similar experiences.

“This is why I’m doing it essentially because it needs to change and somebody needs to be accountable,” said Debra.

A spokesperson for NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board said: “We are sorry to hear about the family’s experience of their mother’s care and acknowledge the concerns they have raised.

“We have received their complaint and are investigating the circumstances to establish what happened. We will keep the family informed as the investigation progresses.

“As this investigation is ongoing, we are unable to comment further at this stage.”